Blue Tea

The southern part of the United States has been ravaged by record numbers of killer tornadoes that have carved hundreds of miles of unbelievable destruction. As the climate change (that many deny) continues to worsen - these types of deadly storms will become more commonplace - but that is a topic of another discussion. The subject of this article is even more political in nature than climate change.

The states in the southern part of the USA are very red (GOP) Tea Party controlled states. There you will find the ultra conservative republicans whom I have accused of a lack of compassion for those less fortunate and having the attitude that if it isn't happening to me - right now - then it isn't happening. Well, sadly, this particular disaster is happening to them - right now. Many of these unfortunate families have lost everything. Their homes reduced to a pile of unrecognizable rubble and many don't have insurance to cover their loss. My question is what will they do now? Will they accept federal emergency money to help them recover from this disaster or will they refuse federal assistance in the same manner they refused federal infrastructure funds? FEMA is nothing if not a social program. The Tea Party is strongly opposed to federally funded social programs. This would seem a conflict of interest in the Tea Party movement.

There will be no conflict of interest in this case. The unfortunate victims of these tragedies should and will accept federal assistance to help them recover. That's what these programs are designed for and they work. As a tax payer I am more than happy that my tax dollars will help get these people back on their feet - even though it isn't happening to me - right now. I have compassion for those that lost everything in this tragedy. Will the Tea Party remember the victims of the next unfortunate tragedy in the same way when it happens to someone else? Losing your house to unemployment or devastating medical bills is no less tragic than losing it to a deadly storm. Federal programs are designed to help people in need. These programs can be modified and improved to be more efficient and less costly - but we must not terminate them. It is un-American to let those in need suffer without our help.